By Mariam Jabita
The National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) scheme was created during the General Yakubu Gowon regime on May 22, 1973. The main purpose was to foster national unity and cohesion. But is that really all there is to it?
Millions of graduates have participated in the NYSC scheme from 1973 to date and many have shared their experiences. For many Nigerian graduates, the NYSC scheme is simply more than the one-year mandatory programme that has been forced upon the youths of Nigeria. It is a year filled with unease, financial difficulties, uncertainty, mental and psychological stress, and of course, insecurity.
Insecurity
Bukola Gbadebo, an honors student of the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Benin, was posted to Jigawa State for her NYSC programme. Bukola was excited and looked forward to her experience at camp. But on the 18-hour journey to Jigawa State from Lagos, her bus was hijacked by bandits on the road, and she and a few other passengers in the car were kidnapped by the bandits. Bukola’s parents were devastated to receive the call and reached out to the media for help.
In an interview, Bukola’s mother, Fatima Gbadebo clutched her chest, as she cried out in pain. “Save my daughter. Please.”
Bukola was released two weeks, four days later, and during a follow-up interview, Mrs. Gbadebo’s cheeks were wet with tears as she stared at the camera. “My daughter is broken. Those beasts raped and tortured her!” she yelled in pain and ripped her shirt off.
In a country where such an unfortunate incident happened to a promising citizen, can we really say it brings national unity and solidarity?
In 2023, the case of the six corps members who died while traveling from Akwa Ibom State to Sokoto State shocked the citizens and the country mourned their death.
“She was so excited to serve,” recalled Mrs. Eze, one of the mothers of the victims as she wiped her tears. “She promised to call when she arrived, but the call never came.”
Susan Oyediran lamented about the constant fear of the gunmen during her NYSC. “I was posted to a small village in Bauchi State, where we heard gunshots every night. I lived in constant fear throughout my stay.”
Mental Stress and Psychological Warfare
Kemi Adebayo a psychologist emphasized the alarming number of corps members who are facing mental stress, anxiety, and even depression because of the NYSC scheme.
“The sudden change of environment, financial struggles, and fear of the unknown can take a toll on their mental health,” she said.
The pressure of what happens after NYSC also adds to the stress of being a corp member. Johnson Abu, a corps member serving in Lagos State said “The job market is highly competitive. Many of us do not know what will happen after we take this uniform off.”
About 65 percent of corps members are being posted to schools to serve, which is completely unrelated to the course they studied in the university. “I have applied for jobs in so many companies for 9 months, to no avail,” Ikechukwu Adams, former NYSC member laments.
“Serving in a school does not make me grow professionally. It makes me worried about my life after NYSC,” Banji Adebayo, an Enugu State corp member expressed his concerns.
Financial Difficulties
For some corps members, the difficulty does not come from relocating, but rather from financial problems. Tosin Williams described how difficult it is to live on the N33, 000 only the Federal Government pays the corps members. “After removing transportation to my CDS and my PPA, there is almost nothing left,” he said.
“I spend my alawee even before I get it. I’ve had to live on loan apps due to the high cost of everything these days,” Emeka Mbanefo, an Anambra State youth corp member said.
“The alawee is not enough to do anything tangible. Just the transportation to my PPA alone has taken half of it, and then there is feeding also. We are barely surviving,” Adeola Adebanjo, an Imo State corp member said.
In early 2024, the Federal government increased the minimum wage and promised to also increase that of NYSC members from N33, 000 to N77, 000. But that is yet to be fully implemented, causing a lot of corps members to be devastated by the failed promise.
“I was excited to hear that the alawee was going to be increased to N77, 000 but till I finished serving, they paid us 33k still,” Jabita Damilola, a Lagos ex-corps member said bitterly.
With a monthly allowance of N33, 000, many corps members find it difficult to survive, especially in states like Lagos, Abuja, Oyo, and Rivers States. With the rising inflation of Nigeria, many corps members have turned to side hustle and online jobs to survive.
Aisha Audu, a corps member serving in Kano State says “I had to sell chin-chin to my fellow corps members to survive. Without it, I do not know what I would have done to put food on my table.”
Fortunately, as of February 2025, the Director General, NYSC, General Yushua Ahmed, announced that the new allowance will be disbursed to corps members at the end of the month.
Linda Osunji, an Osun State corps member said: “I was so happy to hear the government is going to pay us 77k this month. I really hope they do not disappoint this time.”
Reforming NYSC
There have been debates spanning decades if the NYSC should be reformed or scrapped totally. With the increasing insecurity, financial difficulties, and unemployment, many Nigerians have begun to question the relevance of the NYSC scheme. They have argued that the scheme has long outlived its purpose and should therefore be scrapped.
However, some have argued that the benefits of the NYSC scheme far outweigh its problems. Many corps members have voiced out the benefits they have gained from participating in the mandatory one-year programme.
Jane Tobi, former corps member said “I met my life partner during my NYSC programme which I do not think would have been possible because I schooled in Abuja, and he finished in Maiduguri, Borno State.”
Another former corps member who served in Oyo State, Anthony Eweje shared his accomplishments during his service. “I was fortunate enough to help build communities, teach young children and volunteer in health centers in rural areas, saving the sick and malnourished children on the brink of death. It is one of the things I think about that brings me joy. Thinking back, I would do it all over again.”
“NYSC is important,” Mrs. Adewale, a former corps member said. “But it needs reform. We need better security, increased allowance and stronger post-service opportunities.”
For many Nigerians, NYSC is a mix of stress, growth, uncertainty, and learning. As the debate continues, thousands of graduates will set out to participate in the mandatory one-year service, uncertain of what the future has in store for them.
Conclusion
NYSC might have been established with good intentions but that does not take away the fact that it has affected lots of youths negatively. It has also driven a wedge between lots of families and has been a source of disappointment and terror to many Nigerians. The financial burden, insecurities, and psychological stress are just a bit of the negative impacts the programme has had over the years.
As the debate about the future of NYSC continues, thousands of fresh graduates will be called every year to serve their fatherland with the hope of a better experience and a better future than their predecessors. This begs the question. Is NYSC still worth it?
